Reality Bites

Unfortunately I missed the early morning treat yesterday (a couple of c's of fresh) and didn't get out till late morning. Conditions were not good on the slopes. A mixture of slick hard patches, big heavy slush piles mostly with a brownish hue and a stash of ice balls together with a smattering of rocks, gravel and grass. The ice balls were a legacy from Monday when the groomed runs were covered with golf balls and the occasional orange sized death cookie.

Today unfortunately was worse. Blue skies and warm temperatures brought out a large school holiday crowd onto a limited amount of groomed slopes. The ungroomed was frozen in the rutted, chunky state that it was left the day before.

Friday Flat is holding up well under huge crowds of beginners but the best open runs are certainly in the Merritts area. Everything else is either very sad or diabolical. I hit several rocks every time I got onto Eagle Way and there are several places down the Crackenback Supertrail where you hit gravel and/or rocks.

Sundowner while still open is very hard to get onto and the racecourse above it, whilst firm, has severe gravel 7 rock problems at both the top and bottom of the run.

Some snow was made last night but was only noticeable at Merritts. The good news is that Merritts Traverse is now officially open and that the Ts have been placed on to both the Basin and Karels T-bars. The T-bars are not open yet. The word is 'Friday' but hopefully they will open tomorrow to help reduce the pressure on the other runs. High Noon and Sundowner are only just open and like many other parts of the mountain can only be described as MARGINAL.

Karels T-bar on Monday - today was groomed and prep'd.

Some of Monday's ice golf balls on the Supertrail

Friday Flat crowds today

Eagle Way and surrounds where the rocks are breeding

Merritts Traverse officially open

I have been on the better of my rock hopping skis this week and unless a stack of snow is made tonight I will be returning to my rock hopping wrecks, if I go out at all. Talk of a fine weekend, a firm cover on the main range and the fact that Basin & Karels will be open presents the opportunity of getting out of the resort and away from the maddening crowds. A picnic lunch and a few turns on untracked slopes is looking like the better alternative for the coming weekend.